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If you want to have a drink at one of the best bars on the planet, you don’t have to leave Chicago.

The West Loop’s Kumiko is 25th on the World’s 50 Best Bars annual list, one of the most prestigious in the world.

It’s the first Chicago establishment to crack the top 50 since 2018.

That’s also the year this intimate Japanese dining bar opened at the corner of Lake and Desplaines, offering visitors a unique drinking and dining experience.

Owner Julia Momosé, who’s also a mixologist, channels the flavors of her Japanese American heritage for the menu, combining ingredients, and techniques to pair cocktails with bite-sized food dubbed “little luxuries”.

This summer at the James Beard Awards, Momosé won Michelin’s 2022 Exceptional Cocktails Award for her book “The Way of the Cocktail”.

An academy of more than 650 anonymous drink aficionados from around the globe chose the winner for the 14th edition of the awards.Paradiso in Barcelona was named the best bar in the world, followed by Tayēr + Elementary in London and Sips in Barcelona.

You can see the full list of winners below.
The World’s Best Bars for 2022

  • 1. Paradiso, Barcelona (Winner: Best Bar in Europe)
  • 2. Tayēr + Elementary, London
  • 3. Sips, Barcelona (Winner: Highest Climber)
  • 4. Licorería Limantour, Mexico City (Winner: Best Bar in North America, Legend of the List)
  • 5. Little Red Door, Paris (Winner: Sustainable Bar Award)
  • 6. Double Chicken Please, New York (Winner: Highest New Entry)
  • 7. Two Schmucks, Barcelona
  • 8. The Connaught Bar, London
  • 9. Katana Kitten, New York
  • 10. Alquímico, Cartegena (Winner: Best Bar in South America)
  • 11. Handshake Speakeasy, Mexico City
  • 12. Jigger & Pony, Singapore (Winner: Best Bar in Asia)
  • 13. Hanky-Panky, Mexico City (Winner: Art of Hospitality)
  • 14. Bangkok Social Club, Bangkok (Winner: Best New Opening)
  • 15. Salmon Guru, Madrid
  • 16. Drink Kong, Rome
  • 17. Coa, Hong Kong
  • 18. Florería Atlántico, Buenos Aires
  • 19. The Clumsies, Athens
  • 20. Baba au Rum, Athens
  • 21. Cafe La Trova, Miami
  • 22. Attaboy, New York
  • 23. Satan’s Whiskers, London
  • 24. Tropic City, Bangkok
  • 25. Kumiko, Chicago
  • 26. Sidecar, New Delhi, India
  • 27. Tres Monos, Buenos Aires, Argentina
  • 28. Argo, Hong Kong
  • 29. Maybe Sammy, Sydney, Australia
  • 30. Swift, London
  • 31. Line, Athens, Greece
  • 32. Baltra Bar, Mexico City
  • 33. Manhattan, Singapore
  • 34. Overstory, New York
  • 35. 1930, Milan, Italy
  • 36. Dante, New York
  • 37. A Bar With Shapes for A Name, London
  • 38. Zuma, Dubai, UAE
  • 39. Locale Firenze, Florence
  • 40. Red Frog, Lisbon, Portugal
  • 41. Cantina OK!, Sydney, Australia
  • 42. CoChinChina, Buenos Aires
  • 43. HIMKOK, Oslo, Norway
  • 44. Carnaval, Lima, Peru
  • 45. Galaxy Bar, Dubai, UAE
  • 46. L’antiquario, Naples, Italy
  • 47. Employees Only, New York
  • 48. Bar Benfiddich, Tokyo
  • 49. Lucy’s Flower Shop, Stockholm, Sweden
  • 50. Bulgari Bar, Dubai, UAE